SMSL DO400 Full Balanced DAC Headphones Amp ES9039MSPRO FreeBSD compatibility

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T11:47:55+0000

Finally completed my audio server + parametric equalization setup today, I noticed that the onboard chipset is at its limits so, I decided to buy this DAC/AMP in order to get stable noise free sound output.

Is it compatible with FreeBSD 14.2 ?
I cannot find anything in the hardware notes regarding my current onboard sound chip (ESS ES9118) which works, and the chipset in the bought DAC/AMP (ES9039MSPRO).

cracauer@ · 2025-02-21T12:02:05+0000

Not a chance unless it also operates in USB audio class compliant mode.

angry_vincent · 2025-02-21T12:10:13+0000

This is a standalone device and the FreeBSD compatibility part of it is just what USB sound support provides. Plug it in and see what you get and start from there. If their USB protocol is transparent then you just plug it in and that all. For example, I had Schiit Fulla 2 litle DAC and AMP and they claim fully transparent UAC2 device support for their usb part, however it was not the case in reality - i was not able to make this device working in bitperfect mode no matter what i tried.

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T12:10:53+0000

cracauer@ said:
Not a chance unless it also operates in USB audio class compliant mode.

It needs driver for Windows, but no driver for Mac OSX 10.6 upwards, and Linux.
The delivery date is on Monday so, I can only wait, I guess.

angry_vincent · 2025-02-21T12:12:50+0000

of course if bitperfect mode is not the goal ( which will not work if you use some mixer stuff and equalizer ) and this device is fine with UAC - then it will work.

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T12:16:06+0000

angry_vincent said:
This is a standalone device and the FreeBSD compatibility part of it is just what USB sound support provides. Plug it in and see what you get and start from there. If their USB protocol is transparent then you just plug it in and that all. For example, I had Schiit Fulla 2 litle DAC and AMP and they claim fully transparent UAC2 device support for their usb part, however it was not the case in reality - i was not able to make this device working in bitperfect mode no matter what i tried.

The chip in that device is from the same family as my current onboard soundchip so, I think it should work, eventually.
After it arrives on Monday, I will tell whether the sound chip is compatible with bitperfect mode or not.

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T12:17:39+0000

angry_vincent said:
of course if bitperfect mode is not the goal ( which will not work if you use some mixer stuff and equalizer ) and this device is fine with UAC - then it will work.

I am using right now bitperfect mode with a parametric equalizer, and it works.

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T12:25:30+0000

angry_vincent
Just be sure to use external equalizer like the ones build into ffmpeg (anequalizer) and MPD + some music player like ncmpcpp. That way the bitperfect sound will be rooted from the audio server (MPD) directly into OSS, and you will have the advantages of both worlds.
If I have time today, or tomorrow I will create a HowTo about bitperfect mode + equalizer + real-time audio server in userland.

lowkeyloki · 2025-02-21T18:26:16+0000

LillieNB said:
The chip in that device is from the same family as my current onboard soundchip so, I think it should work, eventually.
After it arrives on Monday, I will tell whether the sound chip is compatible with bitperfect mode or not.

The chip has nothing to do with compatiility. the chip is entirely internal to the device, and isn't a factor. As cracauer@ mentioned, it's the USB class 2 support that matters (for USB output, that is). That's all your computer sees: the usb device. The amazon (.com, I can't get the the .de version) listing has lots of nice icons and words, but doesn't specify whether the USB is class 2 or not. It's strongly implied, but not explicitely spelled out.

SO, make sure to come back here (to this thread) and let us know when you do get it working (or not).

sko · 2025-02-21T18:49:06+0000

LillieNB said:
It needs driver for Windows, but no driver for Mac OSX 10.6 upwards, and Linux.

Windows needs to install drivers for every crap, even if you plug in your mouse to a different port it needs to re-install the driver. so that advertising platform is definitely not a reference...

The DAC is a plain standard USB AUDIO/MQA HID device, so yes, it will work:

Code:

ugen0.2: <SMSL SMSL USB AUDIO> at usbus0
uaudio0 on uhub1
uaudio0: <SMSL USB AUDIO> on usbus0
uaudio0: Play[0]: 384000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 352800 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 192000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 176400 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 96000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 88200 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: No recording.
uaudio0: No MIDI sequencer.
pcm7: <USB audio> on uaudio0
uaudio0: No HID volume keys found.
usbhid5 on uhub1
usbhid5: <SMSL USB AUDIO (MQA HID)> on usbus0
hidbus5: <HID bus> on usbhid5
hidraw5: <SMSL SMSL USB AUDIO Raw HID Device> on hidbus5

That's a DL200, but the DO400 (and pretty much all current SMSL DACs AFAIK...) also uses the XMOS XU316 USB interface.

Usually you can even switch them between USB 2.0 and legacy 1.1 mode, in which pretty much everything but your toaster can use it without a driver (don't. you absolutely want the asynchronous 2.0 mode).

LillieNB · 2025-02-21T19:45:00+0000

sko said:
Windows needs to install drivers for every crap, even if you plug in your mouse to a different port it needs to re-install the driver. so that advertising platform is definitely not a reference...

Did not know that, or did not notice that Windows reinstall even existing drivers for every device.

sko said:
That's a DL200, but the DO400 (and pretty much all current SMSL DACs AFAIK...) also uses the XMOS XU316 USB interface.

One thing I wanted to ask.
I originally planned to buy the DL200 which you have, because I achieved to run OSS in bitperfect mode with ffmpegs parametric equalizer (anequalizer) with 10 band settings for the focal utopia 2022 revision, and noticed a huge sound difference, but my soundcard just as you said is a whimsy toy that cannot quite drive this headphones. I get noise, and a light crisp sound at some points in almost all flac files.

Before buying the DL200 DAC/AMP I noticed that there is a full balanced DAC/AMP the one I listed above so, I thought buying it, because my headphones also are balanced (have two inputs).
Do you think it would make a difference driving the utopia 2022 on the DL200 DAC/AMP vs driving the utopia 2022 on the DO400 sound quality wise ?
The main purpose is to get the already equalized file output from the PC to the headphones through the DAC/AMP so, the DAC/AMP only acts as a transmitter in this case.

sko · 2025-02-21T20:02:35+0000

The DL200 also has a balanced output; I'm currently powering a pair of Fiio FT1 Pro planar headphones as my "daily drivers" from that output.
While the DL200 only does the amplification part separate for both channels, the DO400 is fully balanced, i.e. the two channels processed individually right from the DAC. The question if this difference is in fact audible has been part of far too many heated discussions - so one should either trust the hard, scientific facts of actual measurements, or perform a blind A/B listening test to decide...